TES inhibits colorectal cancer progression through activation of p38

Oncotarget. 2016 Jul 19;7(29):45819-45836. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.9961.

Abstract

The human TESTIN (TES) gene has been identified as a candidate tumor suppressor based on its location at a common fragile site - a region where loss of heterozygosity has been detected in numerous types of tumors. To investigate its role in colorectal cancer (CRC), we examined TES protein levels in CRC tissue samples and cell lines. We observed that TES was markedly reduced in both CRC tissue and cell lines. Additionally, overexpression of TES significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while increasing cell apoptosis in colon cancer cells. By contrast, shRNA-mediated TES knockdown elicited the opposite effects. TES inhibited the progression of CRC by up-regulating pro-apoptotic proteins, down-regulating anti-apoptotic proteins, and simultaneously activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Collectively, these data indicate that TES functions as a necessary suppressor of CRC progression by activating p38-MAPK signaling pathways. This suggests that TES may have a potential application in CRC diagnosis and targeted gene therapy.

Keywords: HCT116 cell and DLD-1 cell; TESTIN gene; colorectal cancer; p38 MAP kinase; tumor suppressor gene.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Heterografts
  • Humans
  • LIM Domain Proteins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • TES protein, human
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases